Expected to launch by March 2016, the unnamed gadget, which is about the size of an adult hand, is meant to sit on your bedside table while you slumberno wearable needed.

"By using our know-how in gaming to analyze sleep and fatigue, we can create something fun," Iwata said, as reported by Reuters.

The CEO, who is still recovering from a recent surgery to remove a tumor in his bile duct, declined to discuss the company's sales expectations. He did reveal that it may be offered with a subscription service, rather than just a one-off purchase.

"We only start something new if we think we will be able to create a big market, but as I'm not able to discuss pricing plans and other details today I don't think there's much point in giving a figure for our projected scale," Iwata said.

The project will reportedly be developed with U.S. firm ResMed Inc., which manufactures and distributes medical equipment for respiratory disorders.

Its website currently lists a product known as the S+ (pictured) - a "contactless sleep sensor" that combines a bedside sleep monitor, smartphone app and Web-based app "to help you track and better understand your sleeping patterns, and then creates personalized feedback and suggestions to help improve your sleep."

Nintendo did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

The introduction of a health service is what The Wall Street Journal called Nintendo's response to criticism that the company needs to find new, non-gaming sources of revenue.

The device surfaced just as Nintendo reported better-than-expected results in the latest quarter, thanks in large part to new Wii U game launches. Fans can expect even more console titles, including Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and the accompanying NFC-enabled amiibo figures.

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About the Author

Stephanie joined PCMag in May 2012, moving to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in ... See Full Bio

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